Influential think tank recommends 200GW solar target for China

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Credit: Panda Green Energy.

The Chinese government should increase its 2020 solar target from 110 to 200GW, according to the China National Renewable Energy Centre (CNREC).

The think tank is the main advisor to the government’s National Energy Administration (NEA), which would be ultimately responsible for acting on the recommendation. In August, the continuing boom of installations saw the country edge past its existing 2020 target.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

CNREC also recommended increases to wind and bioenergy targets and a halt to the approval of new coal power capacity.

Frank Haugwitz, of the Asia Europe Clean Energy Advisory (AECEA), which highlighted the recommendation in a briefing note, considers the target to be achievable.

“The recommended ‘new’ solar PV target in AECEA’s opinion will be realized, if not exceeded by approx. 15-20%,” he wrote.

“Overall, China is in the midst of its own energy transition, a process which will last for years and decades to come. In this context, obviously the utilization of locally available renewable energy resources will play a significant role, due to that over the past years sentiments towards RE have changed. China’s president Xi Jinping’s call for an energy revolution in the summer of 2014, an overdue, but fundamental power sector reform finally initiated in March 2015, a thoroughly revised version of the Renewable Energy Portfolio (RPS) effective since early 2016, the introduction of a voluntary domestic carbon emission trading scheme in July 2017 among a host of other initiatives and policies all designed to make this grand energy transition happen.

“Finally, it remains to be seen to which extent China’s National Energy Administration will follow CNREC’s proposed recommendations. In AECEA’s view, they certainly will be taken into consideration and shall serve as the reference when drafting new policies,” added Haugwitz.

10 March 2026
Frankfurt, Germany
The conference will gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing out to 2030 and beyond.

Read Next

June 30, 2025
Australian module manufacturer Tindo Solar has secured a 30MW solar module supply agreement to power Australia's first "net zero pipeline”.
June 27, 2025
Renewables investment platform Nexwell Power has signed a round of power purchase agreements (PPAs) with “one of the largest” US tech companies for solar PV capacity to be built in Spain.
June 27, 2025
Statkraft has signed PPAs with Better Energy to purchase energy from two solar power plants in Poland with a total capacity of 64GWh.
June 27, 2025
Solar developer Lightsource bp has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with a subsidiary of Taiwanese energy firm HD Renewable Energy (HDRE).
June 26, 2025
ACEN has partnered with UPC Renewables to build two renewable projects in Rajasthan and Karnataka, India. 
June 26, 2025
Nextracker will supply solar tracker systems to a 550MW solar PV project in the Greek province of Western Macedonia, owned by Greek renewables developer PPC Renewables.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
July 2, 2025
Bangkok, Thailand
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece